More global insights

Occasionally we remember that there’s a world beyond America. Not only that, but it’s a world that looks at things like ethanol differently than us. Brazil, for example, has seen ethanol overtake gasoline as their automotive fuel of choice, and by a significant margin. The Wall Street Journal reports that “gasoline is fast becoming the country’s alternative fuel…thanks in part to consumer demand and Brazil’s automakers.” It helps that ethanol is much cheaper than gas there, and flex-fuel cars are very popular with Brazilian consumers.

We’re wondering what effect Brazil’s success with ethanol will have on America - Brazil is already badgering us to lower our Brazilian ethanol tariff. We here at Corn Car aren’t so sure about that one, though. Not to sound too isolationist or anything, but relying on currently inexpensive foreign ethanol might be a retread of our relationship with the Saudis, where they made oil so cheap that we let our plans for energy independence wither on the vine. It’s also worth noting that the human and environmental cost of their progress has been largely ignored by Brazilian agribusiness.

However, Americans are still timidly chugging along. U.S. corn growers are mostly in favor of mid-level ethanol blends for flex-fuel cars. Blender pumps, which “adjust the mixture of fuel at the gas pump, drawing ethanol…and unleaded gasoline from separate underground tanks and mixing them according to the driver’s selection,” are gaining popularity in South Dakota and Kansas, where there’s currently a big push to install them in service stations. Check out Driving Ethanol for more information about it, and try to spread this around where you live. Unless you live in Brazil. You guys don’t need the help.